Daddy's Princess
by Your Cute Onee-chan
Summary: Bulla is chosen as Vegeta's heir instead of Trunks. There's only one problem: she doesn't want to be Vegeta's heir. She wants to be a normal girl. After Vegeta makes a wish on the dragonballs, her training is put to the test, & Bulla learns a hard truth: there is no birthright. She must fight for the crown. But could she possibly face her own father, and win?
1. The New Heir

**Daddy's Princess**

 **Chapter 1: The New Heir**

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Stinging droplets of rain struck the exposed skin of Vegeta's face and knuckles as he sped across the city on his motorbike. The veins in his arms and hands bulged as he forced the throttle to its maximum speed. Flying was the most convenient and fastest way to get around, but driving had become one of the rare human pleasures Vegeta allowed himself to indulge in. Most humans had better sense than to speed at that time of night when the black asphalt reflected colorful traffic lights, which made it harder to see. It was only out of pure stubbornness that Vegeta hadn't crashed yet.

He slowed his pace a little as he neared the heart of the city.

Six lanes of anxious vehicles sat idly before the red traffic light while cars from the left and right crossed the intersection. Vegeta stopped behind a rusty grey car, both of his leather boots touching down on the wet pavement.

Vegeta tilted his head to side, curious. He didn't want to fly off and abandon his bike, not after he'd beat a balding, middle-aged man with a pregnant beer belly for it. Stole his leather jacket, too. It was an exhilarating fight. He'd spent weeks obsessively training in the middle of nowhere and was on the verge of collapsing when he encountered the biker. He'd worked so hard for his bike. Be a pity to leave it behind, but he sure as hell wasn't waiting ten minutes for the light to turn green - even then he'd be stuck behind a trail of slow drivers.

Vegeta lifted both boots from the ground, the motorbike roaring to life as he sped through the space between the two lanes of cars. He caught sight of a few shocked expressions from the side view mirrors and smirked to himself. They had no idea what was coming next.

He passed through the red light, ignoring the horns and screeching breaks from the cars who he cut off. He had to reach out a leg to stop a car from crashing into his bike at one point, crushing the front grill and probably most of the car's motor in the process. He passed through the intersection unscathed, leaving behind a pileup of cars, car parts, angry drivers, and an ambulance whaling far off in the distance. A pang of homesickness struck him, but he pushed the feeling back.

Vegeta parked his bike in the empty parking lot of a 24hr laundromat and walked the remaining distance across the street to the huge hospital building. Projected on the side of the building, lit up in pink, was what Vegeta recognized as the Capsule Corporation logo. Anger burned in his chest. If he had grown up and married on his home planet, everyone would've celebrated the birth of the new royal baby, not just the hospital. There would've been drunken laughter, huge feasts, traditional royal ceremonies, fights, and…his father. In that moment, Vegeta sorely missed his father.

The Emergency entrance doors automatically slid open for him. The receptionist behind the tall metal desk near the doors had an alarmed expression on her face. Humans were naturally intimidated by him, unknowingly sensing his bloodlust. Wearing a black leather jacket with metal studs and leather pants only made him more intimidating. He strode over to the receptionist, clenching his fists and cracking his knuckles.

"My woman gave birth to our second baby. I wish to see her."

The receptionist stared at him with large, ignorant eyes.

Vegeta sighed. Had this been his home planet, Bulma would've given birth in the royal palace in her chambers. Two guards would've been stationed outside her door, bowing before their prince as he declared entrance. He'd have visited his newborn child as often as he wished, and it would've been easy. His mother would've been at his mate's bedside, tending to the new child while the exhausted mother slept.

A horrible sadness settled into Vegeta's stomach as he suddenly remembered his mother. She was beautiful, strong, and had a fierce temper, but she also had a soothing voice reserved only for him. She would've loved being a grandmother, using that same soothing voice to sing her grandchildren to sleep or to tell them stories of the king's successful battles. She would've been the one to teach her grandchildren how to behave like royal heirs. Unlike Bulma's parents, who did nothing more than spoil their son with sweets and praise, teaching him how to be soft like the rest of them.

Understanding registers in the receptionist's eyes and she smiles." Congratulations on the new baby! To get to the maternity ward just follow the signs." She leans over her desk and points at the arrows listing room numbers on the walls. " Straight down the hall, turn right, then take another right after reaching the end of that hall, you should see a couple of elevators, you'll want to press on the third floor, after that…."

Vegeta grunted his thanks and started down the hall, his pace growing faster the closer he came to the elevators. He'd waited nine months and three weeks for the child to be born, only halting his training every three months to check in on the woman's growing stomach during that time. She was insufferable to be around, constantly nagging him and sabotaging the gravity room so he could spend more time with her. The pregnancy made her moods unpredictable. She would be snuggled against him on the couch one minute, then hitting him in the back of the head another minute…just because the commercial model on TV just so happened to be attractive. Now that the child was born, he hoped she would go back to being more stable.

His sensitive ears picked up the wails of newborns, and he slowed his pace, coming to a stop directly in front of a wall of glass. Behind the glass were rows of newborns in clear beds, wrapped in white blankets. All of them wore little hats to keep their heads warm, but it were the babies in pink hats that stuck out to Vegeta. He was so focused on the babies, he almost didn't notice the man in green scrubs beside him, waving at one of the babies behind the glass.

"Hey little guy. It's me, your daddy. Can you see me waving at you? You really gave your mom a tough time back there. I'm sorry I blacked out. I can't wait to teach you how to ride a bicycle someday, it's gonna be lit!"

Vegeta's left eye twitched. It seemed pointless to wave at a child that couldn't see him, or talk to one that didn't know a word of English. He hoped he wouldn't become a dumb father like that guy once he met Eschalot.

The man in scrubs felt a kinship with Vegeta and shuffled closer to the Saiyan prince, their shoulders within a hair's width of touching each other." That's my little Henry," the man tapped his finger against the glass, pointing to a fussy infant in the far right bed of the second to last row." He came out hella quick. My girl was in so much pain, screaming and growling like one of those possessed chicks from the Exorcist movies. Once I saw the baby's head…I don't know, I just felt so dizzy and freaked out. "

The man shivered thinking about the birth. " I had the worst headache of my life when I woke up and the nurse asked if I wanted to hold the kid. I said,' Hell no!' I'm gonna wait a few days for that kid to lose its new baby smell. It came out covered in blood. There's no way I'm holding any baby right after it's born. No. Freaking. Way." The man shook his head." So, uh, which one is yours? My name is Leo, by the way." Leo stuck out his hand for a handshake, but Vegeta ignored it.

Vegeta turned on his heels and stalked down a long hallway, glancing into each room he passed as he tried to sense Bulma. Today, he was certain she had seen the shadow of death as she brought their child into the world, her ki was barely noticeable. Most alarming, Vegeta hadn't sensed the baby's ki at all. Which meant that the baby had been born with a weaker power level, or….

Vegeta gritted his teeth, refusing to believe that the worst had happened. He marched through the halls with an immediate purpose. Bulma was recovering somewhere on this floor, and Vegeta intended to find her.

.,.,.,.,.,

"Dad?" A boy's uncertain voice called out. He could've been calling to anyone, but Vegeta's instincts told him that the boy was directing his question to him. That voice belonged to his son. Vegeta's boots let out an echoing squeak as he came to a sudden stop. He looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, Trunks was walking out of one of the rooms, followed closely by Goten.

"Dad, it's really you!" Trunks exclaimed, charging into his father for a hug. The twelve-year-old boy buried his face into Vegeta's leather jacket as he spoke, ashamed of his tears." The baby almost killed mom! She…she was so close to dying! The doctors had to perform emergency surgery to get the baby out."

Vegeta put his heavy hand on top of Trunks' head to comfort him. The boy had grown an inch since the last time he visited, and was now standing at the same level as his upper abs. Vegeta frowned at the memory of Future Trunks, whom had surpassed him in the height department at only eighteen. His young son would soon become the size of a full-grown man once he reached fifteen at this rate. Being surpassed by his son in any way did not sit well with Vegeta.

"Did the baby survive?" Vegeta questioned once Trunks had stopped crying.

Trunks took a step back and nodded, rubbing his runny nose into his arm." Yeah, she's okay. She's sleeping in that clear bed-thingy next to Mom." He took Vegeta's right arm and tugged." Come with me, I'll show you. The room is this way."

Copying his best friend, Goten tugged on Vegeta's other arm. " Yep, it's this way Vegeta."

Vegeta rolled his eyes, annoyed that Kakkarot's son was touching him. He was tempted to push both boys away from him by powering up his ki, but the boys had already led him into the room Bulma was recovering in. To power up his ki would mean accidentally harming Bulma and the newborn baby. For now, he needed to be patient with Goten and Trunks' childish human ways.

Bulma's eyes were half closed when they walked in, like she was just about to fall into a deep, drug induced sleep. Once she spotted Vegeta, however, her eyes bulged and she jerked her head forward, intending to sit up. She winced in pain, dug her fingers into the blanket covering her waist and lower half of her body, and dropped her head back down onto the pillow. She licked her dry lips, giving Vegeta a weak smile. Her voice cracked with emotion as she spoke.

" You came."

Vegeta stared down at the exhausted blue-haired woman before him. Giving birth to a Saiyan child was not an easy thing to do, especially for a human, yet Bulma had done it twice. She didn't have to say anything for Vegeta to know that this was their last child. Her body couldn't handle another pregnancy.

Vegeta crept soundlessly to Bulma's bedside, leaned over, and kissed her forehead. " I'm proud of you, woman." He whispered.

Trunks made gagging noises to show how he felt about his parents showing affection in front of him. Goten looked from Vegeta to Bulma with big, curious eyes, like he was witnessing something rare, but didn't know what.

Vegeta straightened, setting his sights on the baby sleeping in the clear bed he'd seen dozens of infants sleeping in through the glass wall. The baby had on a pink hat, confirming that she was indeed a girl. He focused on the rhythm of her steady breathing. She sounded strong, but he had no way of knowing how strong she'd grow up to become. He reached out, brushing away a wisp of blue hair that had fallen across her brow.

"Boys, I need to talk to Vegeta alone." Bulma's voice trembled as she pushed through the pain to sit up." Trunks, why don't you buy Bulla a teddy bear from the gift shop? I bet she'll like that. Maybe get some pink balloons too."

Trunks looked at his mother curiously, then nodded." Okay. I'll buy her a teddy bear and some balloons. Don't let dad go anywhere until I get back." He motioned for Goten to follow him, and the boys left the room.

Vegeta smirked.

Bulma glared at the Saiyan prince and snapped," Mind telling me what you're smirking about?"

"Our daughter's name is Eschalot, not Bulla."

"No, her name is Bulla. I already wrote it on her birth certificate."

Vegeta's expression darkened ." That wasn't our agreement."

"Well, you weren't here yesterday when she was born – THAT wasn't in our agreement! You promised you'd be here when I went into labor. In fact, you'd still be out there training if Chichi hadn't sent Goku to find you!"

A low growl escaped from him, warning Bulma not to mention Goku again. He was already annoyed that Bulma had named their daughter without him, he didn't need to be reminded of Goku's annoying existence too.

Not caring if he awoke her, Vegeta picked up his infant daughter. Her arms flailed from the sudden movement, as if she thought she had fallen from her clear bed.

"No, please, Vegeta!" Bulma begged while reaching out, knocking over the table lamp and falling out of bed onto the cold hard. She gasped with effort as she dragged herself to Vegeta's feet, latching on to the leather material over his knee and thigh with trembling hands. Tears fell freely from her desperate blue eyes, reminding Vegeta of past victims that pled for their lives. " She's just a baby, Vegeta. I know it's not what we agreed, but please don't take her. Not yet. She needs me. I'm her mother."

Sensing her mother's distress, Bulla opened her eyes. Her little body flinched, not expecting to meet the dark cold gaze of a stranger. From her perspective, Vegeta had the most monstrous, hideous face she'd ever seen before in her life. Even his voice was harsh and terrifying as he spoke. " Eschalot."

"Wahh!" Bulla cried at the top of her lungs, kicking her legs as she struggled out of the arms of the scary stranger. Vegeta's eyebrows pinched together at her reaction. It wasn't the greeting he'd anticipated. Still, he was pleased with the strength she had in her legs. Bulma began crying harder than the baby, expecting to never hear her daughter again.

"Foolish woman," Vegeta grunted. He had wanted this child to be raised differently than Trunks. He'd wanted to start training the child immediately after it was born and, dammit, they had made this agreement before the baby had been conceived! Yet, Vegeta didn't have it in him to take the baby away from its mother. Suddenly, Vegeta was unsure of what it meant to be a Saiyan. He couldn't continue old traditions and send the child off to conquer other planets, could he?

After the briefest hesitation, Vegeta knelt down and handed the crying baby to Bulma. Both of them instantly became quiet. He picked Bulma up and carried her back into her bed.

"But, what about our agreement? " Bulma shuddered, holding tightly to her daughter in case Vegeta changed his mind and tried to snatch her away.

Vegeta turned away from the bed, his back facing Bulma and the baby.

" Eshalot…no. _Bulla_ will one day become the crowned queen of the Saiyan race, she's the heir to the throne. That hasn't changed. I'll see to it that she lives up to her birthright." Vegeta crossed the room and placed his hand on the doorknob. He looked back at the baby drifting to sleep in his wife's arms. " Don't be soft on her, Bulma. You will only make her training difficult when she comes of age."

Bulma nodded, kissed her baby on her head, and whispered," Thank you."

Trunks nearly fell flat on his face when Vegeta opened the door to leave. He'd been listening in on their conversation from the other side of the door, and appeared shocked that Vegeta had chosen Bulla as his heir. Vegeta's lips curled in an amused grin, but said nothing to his son as he left. Goten appeared from down the hall, carrying a teddy bear and six balloons.

Goten didn't stop as he passed Vegeta, stating," My mom says the new baby will start calling Yamcha 'Dad' if you don't visit more often."


	2. Hidden in the Drawer

**Daddy's Princess**

 **Chapter 2: Hidden in the Drawer**

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"Where's Daddy?"

Bulma sighed with impatience at the six-year-old's question.

After spending the day playing at Pan's house, Bulla had noticed that Pan's daddy was always around. He never left.

"Daddy isn't here. He's out training somewhere. He'll be back soon."

Bulla laid in thoughtful silence as her mother tucked her into bed. She waited until after Bulma kissed her goodnight to ask," But where is he?"

It became clear to Bulma that Bulla wasn't going to bed anytime soon.

Bulma settled into bed next to her daughter, exhausted. " I don't know baby. He could be anywhere right now, playing with Goku, teaching Trunks some new fighting moves, or causing a mountain to explode. . ."

"Boom! Boom!" Bulla exclaimed while making popping noises with her mouth. She knew exactly how It sounded when Vegeta became too irritated and blew up something. Usually, it was the gravity room.

"You know, your daddy is a lot like a tom cat your grandpa used to have. His name was Onyx, and he was my favorite cat as a child." Bulma smiled at the comparison." Onyx liked to sleep next to me at night. He always looked angry when I hugged him or carried him to different rooms, but he never scratched me. He was proud of his hunting skills, always carrying back dead birds in his mouth and dropping them on my pillow. Sometimes he'd stay gone for weeks at a time, but he always came back. . . I fed him his favorite food, so of course he'd come back for that. "

"Ewww. I hope Daddy never brings me back dead birds," Bulla giggled.

She snuggled close to Bulma, yawned, and stretched her arm out over her." Where is Onyx? Is he sleeping with grandpa?"

Bulma caressed her daughter's long soft hair, eyes gazing out the window at the bright crescent moon.

Onyx often stayed away from home for long periods of time, so when he never returned….Bulma hadn't noticed. Until that moment, Bulma had forgotten all about her favorite cat. Perhaps the tempting call of freedom had convinced Onyx to live out the rest of his life as a stray, or maybe he had a fatal run-in with a large dog. There was no way of knowing for sure.

"Onyx moved out years ago," Bulma yawned. She checked the clock on the nightstand and groaned, flopping her head back on the pillow. She needed to be at work in five hours." If you go to sleep right now, I'll take you to the pet store tomorrow and you can pick out your own kitty."

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The years passed by peacefully as Bulla grew into a young woman.

Vegeta wasn't around much, always focused on becoming stronger and off training in areas of the world where there weren't any people to disturb him. What he was training for, exactly, Bulla didn't have a clue. He sure as hell visited his family more often than Goten's father ever did, as Goten had pointed out once when Bulla complained about how unfair it was that Daddy was never around. She instantly shut her mouth and never complained about having an absent father ever again. No one had seen Goku in years, not since he left to train Majin Buu's reincarnation.

Bulla loved her father. He played along with her imaginary games, confirmed there weren't monsters hiding under her bed or hungrily waiting for her in the closet when it was time to sleep. She also liked it when he took her shopping and treated her like his most favorite person in the world. His scowl softened when he was with her, and his voice was tender as he called her, "Princess."

Bulma found it endearing that Vegeta could love his daughter so much. Trunks , however, couldn't stand to be in the same vicinity as his father and sister when they were together.

Trunks was gentle and kind to everyone except his sister, and Bulla couldn't understand why.

"Sibling rivalry," Gohan consoled when Bulla was visiting Pan's house, holding an ice pack on her cheek where Trunks had mercilessly hit her during her weekly training.

Gohan exchanged a knowing smirk with Goten before sipping his coffee." Trunks is obviously jealous of how much attention Vegeta gives you. I kinda felt the same way with how my mother treated Goten. What he's feeling will eventually fade away in time. Trunks has also been under a lot of stress since he started working at the company, so he might just be taking his frustrations out on you during training. I'll talk to him about taking it easier on you the next time I see him."

Gohan must've forgotten, because that talk never happened.

Bulla's strict training schedule came to an abrupt end when Trunks was declared as the new CEO of Capsule Corporation. This made huge waves in the business world. The attention Trunks never got from his father as a child suddenly didn't matter anymore, all eyes were on the young CEO. Men envied and admired him for being successful at such a young age, and there wasn't a woman on the planet who didn't want to sleep with him. Most importantly, the sibling rivalry Trunks felt towards his sister disappeared like Gohan had said it would. Since he was busy working at the company, Trunks didn't have the free time to train his little sister.

He could've told their father that Bulla needed a new teacher, or asked Gohan or Pan to teach her.

Heck, even Chichi or Videl would've been tough teachers to have.

Master Roshi was an old pervert, but a possible candidate on Trunks' list.

So many strict, horrible teachers to choose from. The old Trunks would've chosen the harshest. Instead, Trunks gave his sister the easiest teacher a girl could ask for.

After Bulla's first day of her second year of high school, she dropped her backpack by the front door, walked through the house, and found her new teacher waiting for her in the kitchen. There was a plate full of hot cookies on the kitchen table, and he was in the process of refilling his glass of milk. He shut the fridge door with his foot and took a huge gulp of his milk while balancing a cookie and his phone in the other hand.

"Hey," Goten greeted his new and probably first ever student.

Bulla bowed deeply from her waist, showing proper respect for her teacher the way Trunks had taught her. Goten's brows rose and he choked a little on his milk. Trunks' bossy kid-sister had never shown a shred of manners or respect for him before. He found her behavior a little scary.

Bulla's long hair flew over her head and laid flat against her back as she stood up. She was smiling. " YOU'RE my new teacher? Are you serious?" If Trunks was home she would've kissed him. She was so happy.

Eating cookies and deciphering text messages and signals from a girl Goten liked was how Bulla spent her first day of training with her new teacher. She hoped everyday of high school would be as fun and carefree.

Her happiness was short-lived when Trunks called later that night, asking." How'd training go?"

She couldn't lie to her older brother. She told the truth. They hadn't trained at all.

" That idiot was supposed to stick to the schedule I printed out for him. Ah, I knew he'd do this." Trunks groaned, and Bulla could practically see him massaging a headache." Listen, Goten is one of the strongest fighters I know. You can learn a lot from him. But It's up to you to keep him on track, don't let him teach you how to fish or finger paint tomorrow. This is serious. Dad won't be happy if you don't become stronger."

Bulla turned over on her bed, propping her elbows up on a pillow and kicking both legs in the air. Her grip on her phone tightened, unaware that she'd put another crack in the screen.

" What if I say I don't want to become stronger?" She waited a second for Trunks to get mad or suddenly hang up, but he didn't. She kept going." Why should I be the one training when it's Dad who's obsessed with becoming the strongest fighter in the world? Martial arts isn't fun and my arms are starting to look muscular like a man's arms. I'd rather learn how to cook or take a dance class or, you know, learn something that's useful for once. Training is so stupid."

Bulla thought Trunks had hung up during her rant. He was so quiet. She didn't hear any of the usual background noise from the office, not even an annoyed sigh. She pulled the phone away from her ear and glanced at the screen. The phone call duration was still being recorded. He hadn't hung up. "Hello?" She asked, uncertain.

" Fine. Stay a weakling. It's your decision. I don't know why Dad chose you over me."

 _Click._

Their phone call ended.

Bulla stared at her phone, wondering what her brother meant when he said their father had chosen her.

"Chosen me. . . for what?

.,.,.,.,.,,..,.,.,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,

Bulma found she had a lot of free time since Trunks took over the family business. She wasn't retired per se', but a lot of burden had been taken off her shoulders thanks to her son. She visited each floor of the building, checking in on the progress of each individual employee at their cubicles. She could tell her presence only made them nervous, so she decided to call it a day after visiting the floor where Gohan worked. He was busy and couldn't join her for a cup of coffee.

She caught one of the maids carrying a basket of folded laundry when she came home.

"I'll put the clothes away," Bulma said, taking the basket from the maid despite her protest. She laughed." Work has been so dull for me these days. I'm going a little crazy not having anything to do."

Bulma took out some cash from her pocket and handed it to the maid." Could you let the others know that I'll handle the rest of the chores? Don't worry, I'll still pay you for a full day."

The maid shrugged, took the money, and spoke into the radio-watch all the maids had.

Bulma hummed to herself as she carried the laundry back to her room. The basket was filled with hers and Vegeta's socks, underwear, and a few of Vegeta's undershirts that he hadn't ripped through yet. Bulma put her clothes away in her dresser first, then stacked Vegeta's clothes in the basket and carried them to the bedroom just down the hall from hers. Vegeta insisted he have a room for just his clothes since Bulma's clothes left no room for him.

Bulma became alarmed when she couldn't go into Vegeta's room. It wasn't supposed to be locked.

She jiggled the handle a few times, then kicked the door in frustration.

"Vegeta are you in there?" Bulma growled, pressing her ear up against the door. She remembered shocking days when she peeked into the room and found her husband sound asleep when she thought he was out training somewhere. His explanation was that he wanted to come home and rest, and use the gravity room without any disturbances from his family, which didn't defuse her anger.

" If you're in there then you better unlock the door right now! I'm not in the mood for this."

There was no answer.

Bulma set the basket by the door and went back to her room to retrieve a key she made that could unlock any door. She inserted the key, twisted, then gently pushed the door open. Its hinges let out a loud, slow creaking noise as she did so.

The room smelled empty ( Bulma couldn't detect Vegeta's sweaty body odor) and the single bed was made, not a soul had slept in it for quite a while. Bulma walked over to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked. As it should have been. Bulma placed both hands on her hips and let out a heavy sigh.

"I guess…Vegeta really isn't here. One of the maids must've accidentally locked the room when they last cleaned it." Bulma shook her head, refusing to let herself miss her husband. He'd come back soon. When he did, she'd make him stay longer and force him to go out on dates every night until they were sick of each other.

She quickly put away Vegeta's socks, underwear, and undershirts in the first three drawers. There was a fourth drawer, which had been empty for years, and a small closet to the left of the dresser in the corner of the room filled with extra Saiyan armor, boots, regular human outfits, and formal wear he wore at Capsule Corp's parties.

Bulma was about to put away the last of Vegeta's undershirts in the third drawer when she noticed that the fourth drawer was cracked open a little. It seemed silly it had been empty for years. Why not start using it?

Bulma shrugged and fully opened the fourth drawer. Vegeta's undershirts fell into a crumpled pile on the floor beside her knees, and she gasped at what she saw.

Lying inside the once empty drawer, partially wrapped in a blue cloth, were five of the seven dragonballs. Vegeta was preparing to summon Shenron! He hadn't uttered a word about this to Bulma!

She couldn't believe it. Vegeta was married to the richest and sexiest woman on the planet…he could literally have anything he wanted. Why would he want to summon Shenron? Bulma's stomach twisted into painful knots as panic started to set in. She recalled a time when Vegeta wanted to wish for immortality, back when he was one of the bad guys. He willingly turned evil once before when he became Majin Vegeta and killed all those people at the tournament. He was a Saiyan after all, constantly thirsting for a fight, for the chance to kill someone.

Bulma couldn't begin to imagine what her husband wanted to wish for.


	3. Snake Bites

**Daddy's Princess**

 **Chapter 3: Snake Bites**

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No words could describe the shock and horror Bulla felt when she saw a familiar man with black, spiky hair, dressed in an orange gi, leaning against an old model car, parked next to her classmates' newer cars in the parking lot. There were even rust spots on the white paint! What on Earth was Goten thinking picking her up from her private school?

Bulla's face turned red and she quickly walked down the sidewalk, pretending not to have made eye contact with Goten or seen his car at all.

Her ears picked up on the laughter and jokes already coming from her classmates. They all wanted to know who was being picked up in that rust bucket of a car. Only sons and daughters of influential businessmen went to her school! They only made friends with each other in hopes of bettering their family business (AKA Networking). Whoever got into that car would be unfriended immediately.

Goten didn't seem aware of the heirarchy of her school, or maybe he just didn't care. He jumped into his car, started it, and a heavy cloud of exhaust smoke sputtered out of his tail pipe as he followed after Bulla, matching her walking pace since she didn't stop.

"Hey, get in!" He shouted.

 _'Please go away, please go away,'_ Bulla internally begged. She arched her brow and gave Goten an "Do I know you, sir?" type of look. She hoped he would get the hint and drive away, maybe pick her up somewhere further down the street, or at least make it look like a kidnapping.

Nope, not Goten. Not simple-minded, good-hearted, Goten.

Goten impatiently honked his horn." Hurry, get in! We have training to do. But first we're going to pick up some tacos, I'm starving!"

Bulla stopped and let out a frustrated sigh. Goten would keep honking his horn if she didn't get into the car. She stomped around the car and got into the passenger seat, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. It landed with a heavy thud on the floor.

"My brother put you up to this, didn't he?" Bulla growled." He is so dead."

"He just asked me to be a better teacher is all." Goten cheerfully added," Seat belts!"

Bulla's seat belt snapped in half when she tried to buckle it in.

Goten laughed at her expression. "I'm, uh, saving up for a new car."

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Goten drove them far beyond the city, tapping his fingertips against the leather steering wheel as he sang off-key with the music. The speakers were blown and the music sounded fuzzy, leading Bulla to believe that Goten regularly listened to his music at ear-piercing high volumes. She sat leaning against the passenger door, palms firmly pressed against her ears for most of the ride.

"Uh, mind telling me where it is we're going?" Bulla shouted while reaching to turn down the volume. Little alarm bells sounded off in her head when they turned onto a rocky, unfamiliar dirt road. Maybe it was her imagination, but the car seemed to wheeze and slow as it struggled to drive up the steep mountain.

Goten smirked, hearing the panic in the teenager's voice." Take it easy, Princess. I know you hate the woods and I promise we'll be off the mountain before it gets dark. Would it kill you to have a little faith in your teacher, hmm?"

"Holy crap, my phone doesn't get service out here!" Bulla cried, raising her cell phone's screen to Goten's face so he could read the ominous 'no service' message." We have to turn back. What if we break down? No one knows where we are, and I am NOT helping you push this rust bucket back to West City when the motor blows. And it's definitely going to blow, can't you hear it? It sounds awful!"

Goten gently swatted the cell phone away from his face. He turned off his music and tilted his head to the side as he listened to his car. Bulla held her breath, hoping he'd tell her she was right and turn around, or at least stop and take a look under the hood.

He did neither of those things. He smiled and broke the silence in the car by roughly patting the grey plastic near his steering wheel." She'll get us up the mountain in no time. She's driven through worse and hasn't let me down yet, so stop worrying."

Goten cheered the car on as the mountain became steeper and his foot had to press down harder on the gas pedal. Bulla nervously nibbled at the tip of her thumb, glancing in the right side mirror every few minutes and half-expecting to see the back tire fall off or something.

The car shut off on its own when they finally reached the top of the mountain. It gently coasted into one of four parking spaces near the edge, facing out above a sea of trees, the sun shining brightly above. Goten took the key out of the ignition and pocketed it. He turned to Bulla with a triumphant grin. " I told you we'd make it to the top."

Bulla hesitantly got out of the car. There was a picnic table near the edge of the mountain, and a small green field to the left of the parking lot.

" You brought me to... a park?" Bulla's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her brother's best friend." I thought we were going to a private dojo or something to train. This seems like the setup for a date."

Goten frantically waved his hands." No, no, no, no, no. This is absolutely NOT a date!" He glanced around as if afraid a monster would pop out of the trees or the sky and get him. That 'monster' being Vegeta, of course." You're like a daughter to me. I'd never think about dating you."

Bulla rolled her eyes. " I think you mean to say I'm like a sister to you, dummy."

"Trunks is like my brother, but you...you're more like our pet chihuahua/daughter . Besides, Pan is already filling the role of brat-sister/niece. And Videl...she's, um, my legal sister." Goten's face scrunched up and he scratched his head as he internally assigned different roles to his relatives, while at the same time trying to fit Bulla somewhere into the mix.

Bulla didn't want to admit it, but It hurt that Goten didn't see her as a desirable woman, or even as a sister. She used to have a crush on Goten when she was younger. Actually, she still had a small crush on him. He was cute, sweet, single, and completely off limits. What could be sexier?

"Why are we here, oh great teacher?" She asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm. " Since this isn't a date, I doubt you brought me all the way out here to make out and have a romantic picnic."

Well, making out with her cute martial arts teacher and a romantic picnic for two sounded kind of nice

Goten straightened as he remembered the reason why they were there." Little tip: This place is a perfect make out spot at night, but that's not why I've brought you here. Vegeta and Trunks are counting on me to train you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. Turn around."

Bulla let out a loud sigh and turned around as Goten commanded. He made no sound as he quickly tied a blindfold over her eyes, suddenly making her world dark and empty.

She reached out to steady herself." What-"

"Trust me," Goten growled. He firmly grasped her shoulders - the contact giving her a shred of comfort- and guided her to the center of the field. The grass tickled the bare skin of her ankles as she walked and the different scents of nature filled her nose, overwhelming her man-made designer perfumes. The different sounds of birds, insects, and little animals that lived in the trees made her skin prickle. Whatever Goten had planned, she hoped he'd get it over with soon.

Sensing Bulla's discomfort, Goten slowly lifted each individual finger from the teen's shoulders. She felt the heat of his palms hover above her shoulders, ready to steady her in case she suddenly lost her balance or if she needed reassurance.

"I want you to take a deep breath and hold it for me, Princess."

Bulla tensed a little at the nickname, but the gentle soothing tone of his voice told her that he wasn't being condescending. He grew up in a little shack of a house on a mountain surrounded by nature and wild animals...this place was just like home to him. She grew up in a mansion surrounded by city lights and technology, now wasn't the time to rub her privileged upbringing in her face. He was doing his best to be professional. Instead of being defiant, Bulla did as she was told and took in a deep breath.

"That's good. Now, I want you to hold your breath for thirty seconds and let it out through your nose. Repeat the process ten times."

Each time she exhaled, Bulla felt her shoulders become more relaxed, and the blindfold bothered her a little less. After she finished her breathing exercise, Goten continued his instruction.

"I'm going to poke you in the sides, but you won't know when. I want you to try and block me. I'll move extra slow, so this should be easy for you. You're not allowed to take off the blindfold."

Bulla's face turned hot at the thought of Goten touching any part of her body. There was nothing sexual or romantic in his touch though when he jabbed his finger in the upper part of her right side.

"Ouch," Bulla whined, rubbing her hand against her shirt to soothe the little red mark Goten probably left behind on her soft skin." I thought you said you'd be gentle!"

"I said I'd move extra slow," Goten replied, a patch of dry grass crunching under his weight as he circled around Bulla to poke her other side." I never said anything about being gentle. You think your future opponents will be gentle when they're trying to kill you?"

"Ouch!" Bulla cried out again as Goten poked her."You know, for a man, you sure have some sharp nails."

"Focus, Bulla," Goten sighed.

For a while, Bulla tried to predict when and where he'd poke her next. He wouldn't poke her left side twelve times in a row, right? Wrong! Bulla winced from the contact, realizing that trying to predict Goten's erradict moves was impossible. She needed to try something else.

Bulla took in a deep breath. She didn't react or cry out when Goten jabbed her on the left side, digging into a sensitive rib. He poked her a dozen more times, but she didn't react.

"Have you given up?"

Bulla smirked."In your dreams. This pain is nothing. I can handle anything you throw at me, oh great teacher."

Goten crossed his arms he studied the blindfolded girl." You're missing the whole point of this exercise. I don't want you to endure it. I want you to block my attacks!"

" I will. I just...needed to warm up first," Bulla replied.

Goten wasn't convinced _. ' Trunks and I used to play this game as kids, sometimes Trunks cheated but we were always able to block each other's attacks. I don't get it. Is this game too advanced for Bulla, or am I just a lousy teacher? Oh, man, If she can't handle a simple game like this then...'_

Goten slowly, and soundlessly, dove his finger towards Bulla's waist. He expected to feel the touch of her soft shirt beneath his fingertip, but something unexpected happened. Creases formed at her waist as she twisted, deflecting his poke with her opposite hand.

"I did it! I blocked you!" Bulla cheerfully squealed.

"Nice job, but maybe that was just luck." Without warning, Goten aimed to attack her other side, this time moving a little faster. He was within a hair's width of making contact with her side when she snared his hand, applying an unexpected amount of force for a girl her size.

Forgetting that she was his student and forgetting that this was just a practice exercise, Goten cocked back his free hand, formed a fist and propelled it at the young teen, meaning to strike her in the back of the head.

Bulla reacted quickly. She let go of Goten's hand and dodged the danger coming at her head. They both leaped away from each other. Goten, out of experience. Bulla, because her teacher had.

"What was that about?" Bulla asked, her voice trembling from the unexpected ferocity of her teacher. Had Goten switched the exercise from easy to difficult without telling her first?

The tremble in her voice brought Goten back to his senses. The blue haired teen had her fists raised and was ready to defend herself if she needed, but she was still wearing the blindfold. She still trusted her teacher.

' _What is wrong with me? Why did I feel like Bulla had the power to kill me a second ago? I completely lost my cool. '_ Goten closed his eyes and gently fell back into the grass. The sun was still as bright as ever, and Goten welcomed the warmth on his face. _'Bulla screams and runs when she sees a spider. How on Earth did I think she was capable of killing me?'_

Bulla cautiously lifted up the blindfold when she heard Goten burst into laughter. She slowly closed the distance between them and squatted beside her teacher, who was still laying in the grass and laughing. She rested her chin in her hand and smiled a little.

 _' I guess this means training is over for the day.'_

 ** _.,.,.,,.,.,,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,_**

Vegeta had found a nice, desolate, dry area to train himself. It housed no animals, no grass, no trees, and best of all...there was no people around to get in his way. Without a second thought he took out a capsule, clicked a button, and out popped his own personal training gym, equipped with top of the line attack bots and his own mini gravity chamber. His wife had no idea he'd swiped it from her desk when she wasn't looking ( hopefully she wouldn't be too pissed off when he returned home.)

Vegeta decided to switch up his routine one day when the weather was particularly hot out. He'd grown used to training in an air conditioned environment. He figured he needed to toughen up his body and teach himself to endure the heat, really push his body to its limits. So, he encapsulated his gym and set out on a hike through the rocky terrain.

He found out the hard way that he'd been horribly wrong about there not being animals around.

"Ah, fuck!" Vegeta yelled, glancing down at his calf where a large snake had seeped its fangs. It had brown scales and golden eyes, and most of its long body was coiled between the crevice of two rocks, Vegeta had mistakenly gotten too close to it. The snake loosened it's grip on Vegeta's calf and let out a threatening hiss as if declaring," Today you die!" then it bit down again on Vegeta's leg, releasing a venom from its fangs.

In one violent movement, Vegeta severed the snake's head from the rest of it's body. The light in the snake's golden eyes dimmed, and Vegeta wasted no time yanking its fangs from his leg and tossing the head up into the sky. With one finger he released a ki blast deadly enough to disintegrate the head and the tower-like rock formation behind it.

"Stupid, overgrown...worm!" Vegeta cursed, falling on his butt. The venom was spreading quickly. His vision blurred. His breathing quickened, and a cold sweat overcame him. He needed the emergency pouch of senzu beans he carried in his armor's vest pocket. That was his only chance.

"One bean should do the trick," He grunted, preparing to take out the pouch. Suddenly, the dragon radar started to go off at his side. It shook it's way out of his pocket, beeping violently, a bright green light flashing on the screen. There was a dragonball nearby.

Not thinking clearly, Vegeta forgot about the senzu beans and got to his feet. He studied the screen, then studied his surroundings. He had no idea how it got there, but the dragonball had been beneath the tower-like rock formation he blew up with the snake. In fact, he could see the shiny exterior of the dragonball reflecting back the sunlight.

"The sixth dragonball," Vegeta panted, already beginning his descent down the cliff of rocks he'd found himself on. Where there was one snake, there was probably more. His vision was so blurry and his senses weren't as sharp, thanks to the venom. It was only dumb luck that he didn't step on another snake or fall down a crevice. Once on the sandy ground, he quickly began to hobble over towards the dragonball.

This would be the easiest dragonball he'd found yet. After this one, he only needed one more dragonball to make his wishes! Just in time, too. There was less than two months until Bulla's fifteenth birthday, but Vegeta was sure he'd find the last dragonball in time for his little girl's birthday. He just needed to grab this one - and take a senzu bean so he didn't die, first.

Vegeta was four yards away from the dragonball when the sky turned a dark red. The sun dimmed from yellow to orange, with a second, smaller sun suddenly appearing next to it. The dry landscape became browner, with shreds of green shrubs growing on the peaks and in patches on the ground. The gravity also became heavier, like the winter blankets Bulma liked to use on their bed in December.

"Vegeta!" Nappa's gruff voice called from nearby, but Vegeta couldn't see him.

"Prince Vegeta!"

"Vegeta!"

"Hurry home, Vegeta! We need you!"

Vegeta's feet were frozen in place as the familiar voices of Nappa, Radditz, and other dead Saiyan's voices called out to him. He turned his head in all directions, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Vegeta, my son, where have you been?" His father asked, seemingly beside him, but of course, there was nothing there. Vegeta squeezed back his hot tears and slowly advanced towards the dragonball.

"This isn't real," He growled." The venom is causing me to hallucinate. That damned snake! If I could kill that blasted thing over again I would!"

"Oh, but this _can_ be real, Vegeta," Frieza's unwelcome voice whispered into Vegeta's ear, causing his flesh to prickle." You just need to find the last dragonball, and your little monkey planet can exist again." Frieza laughed." You and your daughter will rule over, what? That idiotic Goku, his two half breed sons, and that quarter Saiyan girl. My, that's pathetic. I'll save you the embarrassment and blow up the new planet after you wish it back, okay?"

Vegeta smirked, but didn't say a word. He fumbled with the pocket on his vest, ready to end Frieza's voice and the hallucination of his planet. His anger was helping him think clearly again.

Frieza hissed, disapproving of Vegeta's thoughts." The humans, Vegeta? Really? Has the once great Saiyan Prince really fallen so low? Tsk, tsk. You were better off as my slave." The hissing didn't stop. As Vegeta got closer to the dragonball, he saw that it was being guarded by four, hissing snakes with sharp fangs. He dropped to his knees. His vision became blurrier than ever, changing the snakes into worms ( which wasn't any better. Ew, worms.) then back into snakes. Were they both illusions? Which one was real, the worms or the snakes?

Vegeta collapsed fully onto the ground. He put the senzu bean - or was it a rock he thought looked like a senzu bean?- into his mouth and swallowed. The worms or snakes slithered toward him. Frieza's evil laughed echoed as Vegeta's world turned black.

* * *

 **I'm liking the reviews guys. Keep 'em coming!**


	4. Goten Has No Idea

**Daddy's Princess**

 **Chapter 4: Goten Has No Idea**

" I love you," a husky voice whispered, undeniably belonging to a man. Bulla shyly brought her hand up to hide her giddy smile. The curtains in the room were closed, barely any light filtered in through the cracks, and it was difficult for the human eye to clearly distinguish the two figures laying entangled together on the bed, covered by a white silk sheet. Just who exactly was that man in the bed with her, Bulla didn't know.

Well, Bulla assumed that her dream self knew the man on the bed ( she wasn't the type who'd hop into bed with a random stranger), but she didn't know him. She didn't know his voice, that gleaming white smile, the soft wisps of hair on his chin and jawline. The way he gently kissed her shoulder and trailed his rather rough fingers across her skin felt foreign, but wonderful. Oh, how Bulla wished she knew this man!

Desire warmed her blood. She didn't say those three little words back to him, but he gladly parted his lips and accepted her aggressive kiss. In waking life, Bulla felt herself blush and her heart race as dream Bulla and the mysterious man descended beneath the silk sheets. Before the dream came to an unwanted end, Bulla glimpsed the foggy surface of the vanity mirror across the room, and the smiley face drawn on the corner of its surface.

Bulla felt as if someone was tickling her all over when she woke up from the recurring dream. She hugged her pillow tightly and rolled back and forth on the bed, giggling like a little girl. It was the third night in a row she had the same dream, and Bulla wasn't complaining. It did, however, leave her feeling a little depressed and lonely through out the day. She'd never had a boyfriend before, and wasn't about to hear some cute guy say he loved her anytime soon.

"I must be watching too many romantic TV shows," she reasoned, pushing the dream to the back of her mind. Groaning, she slipped out of bed, shuffled across the room to her closet where she took out her school uniform, and snagged a fresh pair of clean underwear from her dresser drawer before heading into the shower.

 **.,.,.,.,.,..,.,.,.,.,.,,.,.,.,.,.,**

Bulma and Trunks were rushing around the kitchen when Bulla came downstairs for breakfast. Hundreds of papers with condensed text, charts and graphs that meant nothing to Bulla, but everything to Trunks, were scattered across the dining table and kitchen counters. Bulla gently lifted a stack of papers from one of the chairs and moved it to the table before sitting down.

"Don't touch anything!" Trunks snapped, abruptly stopping in front of the coffee pot. His suit jacket was missing, some of the buttons on his shirt were buttoned wrong, and his tie draped loosely over his neck like a scarf. Most noticeably, he had dark circles under his eyes and carried the strong scent of coffee. " Mom! Have you seen my glasses? They're not by the sink where I left them!"

Bulma's heels clanked against the hard floor as she rushed from one side of the room to the next, gathering certain papers and stapling them together. She didn't look up from what she was doing. "They're in the front pocket of your jacket, sweetie."

Trunks scratched his head and surveyed the room. Bulla glanced around, too.

His suit jacket wasn't in sight.

"I'm...going to eat breakfast at school today." Bulla slowly got up from her chair, careful not to disturb any of the papers, and threw her leather backpack over one shoulder. For once, she was grateful that their father had chosen to meddle in her life and insist she follow in his footsteps and train like a maniac. If being the CEO of Capsule Corp meant waking up to the aftermath of a tornado hitting a filing cabinet every morning, then no thank you.

"Have a good day," Bulma said, stopping to kiss her daughter on the forehead on her way to a stack of papers at the table." We need the car today. You can use the bike, the jet, or any of the vehicles in your dino caps pack. I know you only have your driver's permit and not an actual driver's license, but if you get stopped for some reason, just remember to cry. Traffic cops almost never give pretty girls who cry a ticket. It always worked for me."

Bulla smiled." Thanks, but the weather is so nice out. I think i'll walk to school today."

She had studied too hard and put in too many grueling hours into passing her driver's test, and she wasn't about to do anything stupid - like, driving without an licensed adult's supervision- to jeopardize her chances of getting her driver's license ( which would officially come in the mail a few months after her birthday).

Trunks looked over his shoulder at her, and smiled. " You know, you could always _fly_ to school if you wanted."

Bulla stared intently at the shiny linoleum floor. Her faint reflection stared back. Of course Trunks would bring up the subject of flying, knowing full well why she chose not to fly. Ever.

"Um, bye," Bulla muttered, quickly shuffling out of the room, then straight up bolting down the hall once she was out of sight. She was nowhere near as fast as the other half-Saiyans in her family, who ran like vampires at a blurry speed the human eye couldn't detect, but Trunks insisted she could be as fast as them if she wanted. She just needed to apply herself.

 **.,.,.,.,.,.,.,**

West City Arts, a private school for children from wealthy families and/or celebrities, was located a little ways outside West City, and sat ominously at the base of King Furry's Valley Mountain. With its pointed castle-like roofs and acres of blood red maple trees lined along both sides of the road leading up to the school, it had acquired the nickname "Dracula's Castle" from the kids at other schools. It was rumored to be haunted, but Bulla had never come across anything paranormal in the few months she's attended the school.

Bulla stopped running when she came to the road of blood red trees. She didn't want to appear like a total nerd who couldn't wait to sit through chemistry lectures to anyone who happened to spare her a glance through their car's black tinted windows. No, she would walk. Walking meant it would take her forty minutes to reach the school, with zero time for breakfast, but at least she wouldn't stick out ( kind of a hard thing to do for a girl with blue hair).

"What? NO BREAKFAST?" Her stomach seemed to cry as it cramped and twisted into knots, rejecting that idea wholeheartedly.

Bulla winced, reaching out for the trunk of the nearest red maple tree to steady herself. The pain was worse than menstrual cramps. For several minutes she didn't dare move. "Uhh, it hurts! I seriously regret not stopping for a quick bite to eat at Taco Hell. I'm so hungry I can eat out of a trash can. " Bulla's legs buckled as the hunger pains got worse. No, she definitely wasn't going to make it to lunch. Maybe flying wasn't such a bad idea after all...

A black car passing by suddenly came to a screeching halt. Bulla momentarily forgot her hunger pains as she watched the car make a U-turn and double back to where she was leaning against the tree. The windows were too dark for her to see inside.

"Can I give you a ride to school?"

A girl wearing an identical uniform to Bulla's stepped out of the backseat of her car. She had black hair cut into a bob, deathly pale skin, and although her skirt and blouse was the same as Bulla's, the color wasn't. It was against the school's rules to alter the uniform, but the girl had dyed her pink skirt a deep black, leaving the blouse white. Had Bulla seen this girl around school before?

"Thanks, I would love a ride."

The girl motioned for Bulla to follow her into the backseat. Bulla had barely just shut the door when the driver took off, making another U-turn in the direction of the school.

"You really saved me back there. I didn't think I was going to make it," Bulla laughed. To the girl, it must've looked like she was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion instead of hunger. Bulla's face started to turn red with embarrassment. She stuck out her hand." I'm Bulla, by the way."

The girl's emotionless black eyes pointed down at Bulla's hand, arching a brow at the gesture. " I know who you are."

Bulla dropped her hand into her lap. _'She's knows who I am? Oh, boy. It's going to get super awkward when I ask who she is.'_

The girl crossed one leg over her knee and shifted her body so she could lean against the door and stare out the window." Capsule Corporation must be doing worse than I thought if they can't even provide transportation to their young heiress."

The driver, a man old enough to be Bulla's great-great-great-grandfather, with eyes so small it looked like he was driving with them closed, snorted." What did they expect would happen after hiring an inexperienced, young _boy_ as their CEO? It wont be long now before the company goes belly up. We really should've left the girl where she was, maybe it would've knocked some sense into that family if she'd come home with blood blisters all over her feet."

Bulla didn't appreciate being talked about as if she wasn't in the car with them. She _really_ didn't appreciate the way they were talking about Trunks. They had no idea how hard he was trying, how exhausted he looked everyday. She wasn't about to sit quietly while a couple of snobs talked badly about her brother right in front of her face!

"I don't know who you think you are, but you obviously don't know who I am. How dare you talk about my brother like that!" Bulla felt her long hair whip around as her ki started to boil to life with her anger. Her arms trembled as she struggled to resist blowing everyone in the car to bits. Her father would be proud of her, but her mother and Trunks would be horrified if she killed those humans. Bulla directed her anger away from the two humans and kicked the top of the passenger seat, knocking it clean off and shooting it straight through the roof. In the mirror, the driver's saggy face lifted with shock, his eyes becoming larger, more fearful.

Bulla crossed her arms and patiently waited for the car to stop. The two humans would either run out of the car screaming, or they would angrily demand she get out of the car. She hoped for the latter. There was already dozens of cars driving behind them, how would she explain herself if those two ran out of the car screaming? That a bee flew in through the hole in the roof? A hole she didn't have any part in creating?

The girl burst into a fit of laughter, infuriating Bulla even more.

"Am I a joke to you?" Bulla growled.

"No, no," The girl gasped between breaths. She was laughing so hard that tears sprung from her eyes and she had one arm wrapped across her stomach. She pointed at the driver." It's Grandpa! Oh my god, his face! I wish Grandpa could've seen his face! He looked so scared, haha!"

The girl's grandfather's face was still contorted. His eyes were so small that it looked as if he was sleeping earlier. Now, his eyes were as large as an owl's, and his hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't drive straight. The fact that he was keeping most of his attention on the scary blue-haired girl they'd picked up instead of focusing on the road didn't help. Bulla's nose wrinkled as she caught a whiff of an unpleasant scent. The poor guy had also peed his pants.

"You can drop me off here," Bulla said, feeling a little sorry for the grandfather.

The girl stopped laughing. "Are you sure you want to walk? If this is about what happened, don't worry about it. Grandpa will have the roof fixed by the time he comes to pick us up."

Bulla put her hand on the door's handle. She narrowed her eyes at the girl." What makes you think I want to ride home with you after what you said about my brother and our company? I'd prefer to walk barefoot through fresh horse poop then get into a car with you again."

The girl smiled." I like you, Bulla Briefs. I like that you're not afraid to say what you're thinking." She turned in her seat and bowed." I'm sorry about what my grandfather and I said about your brother and your company. I hope you'll forgive me. And I hope..." She lifted her head." I hope you will be my friend, or at least sit with me at lunch."

Bulla's stomach squeaked at the mention of lunch. They were already halfway to the school. Bulla would have just enough time to eat breakfast once she got there, so the morning wasn't completely devastating.

The car pulled to the side of the road, and Bulla hesitated before getting out. "Fine, i'll have lunch with you. But if you talk badly about my brother or anyone else in my family, it won't be the back of a chair I'll kick. It'll be the back of your head."

The girl gulped, then nodded.

 _'Such a strange way to make friends,'_ Bulla thought as she got out of the car. She hadn't expected to make any friends at West City Arts, and certainly didn't expect it to happen this way. Of course, the only real friends she's had were family friends, like the Sons and Chestnuts (Krillin's family).

 **.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,**

By the time lunch came, Bulla had already hacked into the school's system and had done a quick Google search on the girl, digging up as much information she could so she'd know what she was getting into.

The girl's name was Lima Bens, daughter of a fashion designer well known for designing costumes for popular fantasy films . Sixteen years old. Sophomore at West City Arts. Only child. Allergic to cats. Most importantly, her family didn't have any business affiliation with Capsule Corp, so there wouldn't be any uncomfortable business favors from one friend to another.

Bulla felt confident as she strode into the cafeteria at lunch time, easily spotting Lima's black skirt out of all the pink and white uniforms. She'd pegged Lima as a loner desperate for a friend, and wasn't expecting to be met with the curious gazes of two guys and one other girl, whom was the most popular girl at school, actually. The famous teen pop star, Filet.

Lima pulled out the empty chair beside her, and Bulla hesitantly sat down.

"Guys, this is Bulla, the girl I was telling you about this morning." Lima pointed to the boy with messy blond hair and a sweet smile." Bulla, that's my boyfriend, Peanut."

Peanut gently waved his hand." Hi."

Lima pointed to the boy sitting next to Filet. He had a strong chin, broad shoulders, warm brown eyes that matched his hair, and heart-melting dimples. He was the school's treasured wrestling player, and looked great in the teams singlet uniform.

"Hi, I'm Almond, but everyone calls me Al. My family supplies different materials to Capsule Corp." Al stuck out his hand, and Bulla a little too eagerly shook it.

"My brother handles all the business stuff," Bulla explained, giving her most friendliest smile." But it's nice to meet you, Al."

Al dipped his head." Likewise."

"The one texting on her phone and giving everyone the stink eye is Filet," Lima continued." She's a total bitch and the reason why everyone has to wear pink and white uniforms instead of the traditional black. The only reason she's sitting with us is because she's dating my childhood BFF."

Filet looked up from her phone and gave Lima the middle finger. It made sense that Almond, the most beautiful boy at the school, was dating the most beautiful girl. Filet had long bright green hair, perfect makeup, smooth skin, and a womanly body. Her voice was bitchy and filled with attitude when she talked, but Bulla could listen to it all day. Filet was one of her favorite singers.

Filet looked Bulla up and down disapprovingly, like Lima had just brought in a soggy blue dog to sit at the table with them.

"Hey, doesn't your boyfriend drive that rusted white car? You know, that guy that picked you up a few days ago. He's that famous martial artist's son and always hangs out with Trunks at parties, what was his name again?"

"Um..." Goten was famous? Since when? That was news to Bulla." Are you talking about Goten?"

Peanut's eyes enlarged." YOU'RE dating your brother's best friend? How did a guy like that score a hot girl like you? I must know his secret!"

Lima elbowed her boyfriend - hard- in the ribs, and reminded him that he already had a hot girlfriend sitting right beside him. He put his arm around her and pulled her in close. Al did the same thing with Filet.

 _'They're so lovey-dovey it's sickening.'_ Bulla internally groaned. This was exactly why she had left Orange Star High School, because Pan had ditched her for a boyfriend and she didn't want to be the third wheel. It looked as if she was destined to be a third wheel no matter where she went.

"Yeah, Goten is my boyfriend." Bulla lied." We're keeping it a secret until I graduate, so my brother and parents don't know." Bulla nervously laughed, adding."He texts me all the time. We're _soooo_ in love."

Everyone had boyfriends, and Bulla couldn't outright say that Goten was her martial arts teacher preparing her to annihilate alien threats that may never invade the planet. That sounded too crazy. Of course, if they knew her, claiming that Goten was her boyfriend sounded even crazier.

What harm would it do if she pretended Goten was her boyfriend for a little while?

* * *

 **Vegeta and Bulla reunite in chapter 6, so sit tight. ;)**


End file.
